Apparatus for developing film



Sept. 19, 1950 J 5, POWELL, JR 2,522,763

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING FILM Filed Sept. 11, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 P 950 J. 5. POWELL, JR 2,522,763

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING FILM Filed Sept. 11, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Jwvon kw I Jo'Awr/m/v 5. .PoWt-Zl, J4:

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Sept. 19, 1950 J. 5. POWELL, JR

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING FILM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 11, 1947 I lvll Patented Sept. 19, 1950 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING FILM Jonathan S. Powell, Jr., South Pasadena, Calif.

Application September 11, 1947, Serial No. 773,439

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for developing film and refers particularl to an apparatus for developing motion picture film.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a small, compact apparatus for the development of film, which apparatus requires no dark room for its operation, on which film may be conveniently and rapidly wound 'into the form of a loose spiral without danger of scratching the film, in which form it may be developed.

In the apparatus of the present invention the film to be developed is fed from a roll of film into a spiral wound groove. The container for the roll of film and the apparatus containing the spiral groove are all located within a chamber through which the necessary developing solutions may be introduced, and discharged through openings which are constructed to prevent entrance of light into the chamber so that no dark room is necessary. An important feature of the present invention resides in the means by which the film is passed from the roll into the spiral groove. In prior devices the roll of film has been positioned with its axis aligned with the axis of the spiral groove, with the result that considerable twisting of the film is required in moving the film into the grooves. This has had the disadvantage that the apparatus is capable only of handling a short length of film. With the apparatus of the present invention the roll of film is supported in a position so as to be fed substantially tangential to the spiral groove, and an automatic guide member is provided by which the film may be fed into the groove so that the apparatus of the present invention may be utilized for handling long rolls of film, such as motion picture film.

The apparatus of the present invention, together with various additional objects and advantages of the invention, will be fully understood from the following description of the preferred example of the invention. A description is given in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view with portions of the cover member broken away.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section on the line 2-'2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pivotal film guiding member.

Figure 6 is a section substantially on the line '6- -6 ofF-igure 1.

Figure 7 is a section substantially on the line of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section on the line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a section substantially on the line 99 of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary section substantially on the line l0l0 of Figure 1.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper film guide.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary section looking at the end of the film guide.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a bottom member 2 which includes a bottom plate 3, which is indicated as circular in form. From the bottom plate there extends a substantially cylindrical rim 4 which rises above the bottom plate 3 so as to provide the apparatus with a relatively fiat cup-shaped container. A cover member 5 is provided which has a downwardly extending slotted flange 6 which receives the upper end of the rim 4 of the bottom member completing the developing chamber of the apparatus of the present invention and forming a light-tight connection. The cover member 5 is locked from rotation and for this purpose, as indicated in Figures 1 and 4, is provided with a lug 42 which lies between lugs 43, extending from the rim 4.

The bottom plate 3 is provided with a pinion 1 extending upwardly to serve as a bearing. A shaft 8 is mounted on the pinion l and extends vertically through a bearing 9 of the cover and at the exterior thereof is connected with the operating handle Ill. The shaft 8, as indicated, is somewhat eccentric of the center of the apparatus and for reasons that will hereafter be explained. The shaft 8 mounts a lower film supporting member II. This film supporting member H has a central drum portion by which it is keyed as indicated at l2 to the shaft 8. Below the drum portion there is provided a lock nut and washer is threaded to shaft 8. The lower film holding member is provided with a diskshaped flange i4. As most clearly indicated in Figure 7, this flange has a spiral groove [5 cut from its upper surface downwardly. The grooves are narrow grooves just slightly thicker than the thickness of the film to be handled by the apparatus and extends only a part way or half the thickness of the disk flange [4. From the bottom of the disk flange l4 grooves it are out which, as mostly clearly indicated in Figure 9, extend radially of the member I 4.

Mounted against the upper face of the drum portion of the lower film supporting member II is provided an upper cam member IT, This cam member I? has a central, fiat section I8 and a peripheral spoke portion I9. The central portion I8 is held against the lower guide member by a cup-shaped washer 28 engaged by a lock nut 2I threaded to the shaft 8. The washer 2B is made cup-shaped and a concentric depending flange 22 is provided on the cover member so that these parts operate as a light curtain to prevent the entrance of light into the container around any space between the shaft 3 and its bearing 9.

The upper film cam member IT is intended to be retained in stationary position while the film supporting member Ii is rotated and to lock member I! from rotation there is provided with 2. lug 23 locked between lugs 24, extending inwardly from the flange 4 of the'bottom member. Member ii is also provided, as indicated in Figures 1 and 11, with an upwardly extending pin 25 to which is pivoted a film guiding member 26.

The film guiding member 26 is indicated as having a horizontally extending portion, one end of which is looped around the pin 25 and clamped thereto by the bolt and nut 21. The other end of the horizontal section of the guide 26 has a downwardly extending portion formed with an opening 27a, designed to receive the film to be developed whereby the guide 26, as hereafter explained, may guide the film in its entrance into ber the film guide 23 therefore pivots around an arc, the center of which is pin 25.

The spoked portion I9 of the member I! overlies the spirally grooved flange I4 of the lower film holding member. Considering the lower surface of the spokes of the portion IQ of the member T as one surface (although interrupted by the openings between the spokes), this surface over its major portion lies parallel to either the surface defined by the base of the spiral groove I5 in the flange I' l or parallel to the surface defined by the top of the spiral ridges forming the spiral groove i5. Thereby, when a film is mounted spirally wound in the groove I5, with its edge substantially engaging the bottom of the spiral groove I5, its upper edge may uniformly contact the lower surface of the spoke portion I4 over most of the area of that portion. The spoke portion IE1, or the lower surface of the spokes of that portion, which is over most of the area of the member 99, thus operate to hold the film with its lower edge substantially to the bottom of the spiral groove I5.

In order to accommodate the movement of the guide member, and also to permit the film to enter at a tangential direction to the spiral groove IS, the spoke portion I9, as indicated in Figures 1 and 11, is provided with a substantially V-shaped groove 29. One edge of this V-shaped opening, as indicated at 353, may follow the arc of movement of the end of the guide member 26. The spoke portion I9 immediately following the edge 30 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 11, has its surface (defined by the underside of the spokes forming the same) tapered so as to become progressively thinner towards the archate edge 30. This increases in the neighborhood of the edge 30 the distance between the bottom surface of the spoke portion and the surface of the spiral groove I5 by an amount substantially equal to the depth of the spiral groove, in order to allow the entry of the film in a tangential direction, the film entering, as shown more particularly in Figure 10, with its lower edge at a slightly higher elevation than the tops of the ridges forming the spiral groove I5, and with its top edge contacting the thin or tapered area of the spoke portion I9 so as to be shoved down by this portion until the bottom edge of the film is substantially in contact with the bottom of the spiral groove I5.

At a position to the side of the members I I and I1 is provided a vertically extending axle 32, the lower end of which is enlarged to provide a mounting hub 33. This axle 32 is for receiving a roll of motion picture film 35 to be developed to hold the roll of film tangential to members II and IT. The hub 33 rises slightly higher than the upper face of the film guiding flange I6. In use of the apparatus, one end of the film 35 from a roll mounted on the axle 32 extends through the slot 2'! of the pivotal guide 26, which at the Start of the operation is in the position indicated in Figure 7, that is to say, pivoted so that its guide point 28 is at about the inner end of the spiral grooves I5. The taper of the upper guide plate indicated at 3| is to allow the film to extend from the roll between the two film holding members so that its lower edge will enter the grooves I5 as the handle I0 is rotated in a clockwise direction.

The member I1, thus in operation, acts as a cam engaging the upper edge of the film to force the lower edge of the film downwardly into the groove of the member II. Projecting upwardly from the member II, near the inner end of the spiral groove, is a split pin 34, the opening of which is sufficiently tight so that to pass the film therethrough the member 34 must be sprung open slightly. The pin 34 is thus adapted to grip the end of the roll of film 35. In installing the film 35 in the apparatus the member II is first rotated counter-clockwise until the guide 26 is near the inner end of the spiral groove in a position substantially as indicated in Figure '7. The film is then passed through the opening of the guide and clamped by the split pin 34 arising from the member II. Thereafter, by clockwise rotation of the member I I the fllm will be progressively fed into the spiral groove.

To the side of the space of the apparatus occupied by the members II and I, there is provided a well 36 for the entrance of the developing and washing solutions. This well 36 terminates in a cylindrical outlet 31, the lower face of which is spaced from the bottom 3, but is located within an upstanding circular flange 38. This construction provides a light trap so that the apparatus is open for the entrance of developing and washing solutions without allowing, however, the entrance of light. There is also provided a fluid outlet and for this purpose there is provided an arcuate Wall 39 extending beyond the flange 6 which connects through an opening 40 with the interior of the apparatus. An arcuate upstanding wall 4| rises above the top of the opening 40 to cooperate in forming a light trap to prevent light entering this fluid outlet of the apparatus.

The apparatus of the present invention is shown sisters? ln-the' form where it is designed especially. for the purpose of developing the customary 257 foot rolls of 1'6.millimet'e'r' film, such as exposed in an 8 millimeter camera, but by variations in the sizes ofthe'parts which can readily'be adapted. for processing longer rolls of filmv and also film or" greater width. The procedure for developing film is to remove the: cover 5 and place the roll of filmin position on the axle 32; the outer end of the film is then connected as previously described through the guide member 26 to thepin 34 (a guide member 26 being positioned in con-, tact with the spiral groove near its inner end). The cover is then closed to exclude light and the film wound into the spiral grooves by turning the crank ID.

The processing or developing of the film is then carried out by introducing the various solutions required in turn through the solution inlet 36 after which the solutions may be drained out of the outlet 40 by tipping the apparatus. In developing operations the open construction of the film supporting member ll allows the free circulation of solution by the film. Likewise, the open construction of the upper cam member permits ready access of the solutions. If a reversal process is being used the light exposure step is accomplished by removing the transparent reel at the proper time and exposing it to strong light. At the conclusion of the treatment the film is removed from the apparatus and placed on a suitable rack for drying.

By means of the apparatus of thepresent invention it is therefore possible to conveniently and rapidly develop motion picture film without the use of a dark room. The apparatus is small and compact, requiring small quantities of developing solution and, accordingly, easy to control as to temperature of treatment. The apparatus has the further advantage of carefully handling the film during the developing operations so as to avoid any danger of scratching.

While the particular form of the apparatus herein described is well adapted to carry out the objects of the invention, various modifications and changes may be made, and this invention is of the scope set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for developing film, two disc members mounted for relative rotation, said disc members lying in substantially parallel planes and being spaced apart in the direction of the axis of relative rotation to receive a film, one disc member having a spiral film receiving groove, the bottom of which groove is spaced from the other disc member over its major portion a distance equal to the width of a film to be received, said other disc member having a substantially V-shaped opening, and said member being tapered from one side of said opening to increase the space between said member and the bottom of said spiral groove, the disc member having a spiral groove also having slots extending from its side opposite said groove to said groove to permit circulation of fluid through said member, and a guide member having a film guiding slot mounted for radial movement of said film guiding slot with respect to the axis of relative rotation of said disc members, said member having a running contact with said groove so as to maintain the guiding slot of said member in alignment with the portion of said groove receiving the film from said slot.

2. In an apparatus for developing film, two disc members mounted for relative rotation, said 6 membersbeing mountedin parallel planes} spaced apart in a direction of the axis of relative-rotation of said members to receive a film, one disc member having a spiral film receiving groove the bottom of which is. spaced from the major'portion of the other disc member a distance equal to the widthof a film to. be received, said other disc member having a V-shaped opening and being tapered adjacent one edge of said opening to increase the space between said member and the bottom of. said spiral groove, the disc member having the spiral groove also having slots extending from its surface opposite from the groove to said groove to allow circulation of fluid through said disc member, a guide member having a film guiding slot mounted so that said guiding slot may move radially with respect to the axis of relative rotation of said disc members, said guide member having a running contact with said groove so as to maintain its guiding slot in alignment with the portion of said groove receiving film from said guiding slot, and means at the side of said disc members for supporting a roll of film in position so as to allow film to be fed therefrom to the groove of said guide member in a direction substantially tangential to that portion of the spiral groove receiving such film.

3. In an apparatus for developing film, two relatively rotatable disc members spaced apart in the axial direction to receive a film, means for relatively rotating said members, one of said members having a spiral film receiving groove, the other member having radially directed spokes with openings therebetween for circulation of fluid, the bottom of the spiral groove being spaced from the major portion of the surface of said spokes a distance equal to the width of the film to be received, the disc member having said spokes having a V-shaped opening and being tapered adjacent one edge of said opening to increase the space between said spokes and the bottom of said spiral groove, the disc member having said spiral groove being provided with slots from its axis opposite the spiral groove, which slots extend to the spiral groove to allow for circulation of fluid through said disc member, and a guide member having a film guiding slot mounted to move radially with respect to the axis of relative rotation of said disc members, said guide member having a running contact with said spiral groove so as to maintain said slot in alignment with the portion of said groove receiving film from said slot.

4. In an apparatus for developing film, two rotatable disc members spaced apart in an axial direction to receive a film, means for relatively rotating said members, one of said members having a spiral film receiving groove on its surface facing the other member and having from its other surface slots extending to the spiral groove to permit circulation of fluid through said disc member, the other member having spokes with openings between for circulation of fluid through said member, the major portion of the surface of said spokes facing the disc member having the spiral groove being spaced from the bottom of said groove a distance equal to the distance of a film to be received, said disc member having said spokes having V-shaped openings and having its spokes adjacent one edge of said V-shaped openings tapered to increase the separation between such spokes and the bottom of the spiral groove, and a guide member having a film guiding slot mounted for movement radially with respect to the axis of relative rotation of said 7 disc members, said member having a running contact with the spiral groove so as to radially move said member to maintain the slot thereof in alignment with the portion of the spiral groove receiving film from said slot. I

JONATHAN 'S. POWELL, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Nyc July 2, 1912 Number mamas Number 10 Number 

